Common Objects For Uncommon Speech Therapy

Why did I want to become a speech pathologist in the first place?  The answer for me was that I wanted to be able to use my creativity to help my students communicate.

Well, working in a low income district for the past few years has been a wonderful experience, but it has really challenged me to use every bit of my creativity! I don't receive any money for materials, games or fun things for my students, which I think is pretty much the story for most districts. So, due to the lack of funding for speech therapy, I am starting a new monthly series on my blog called, 'Common Objects For Uncommon Speech Therapy'!

Here's the best part of this new series...I am open to using your suggestions! Leave a comment on this post with what you want me to use to create an activity or craft idea to be used in therapy.  You can suggest materials that you have in your speech room or you can just come up with some crazy suggestions...the harder the better :)  If I pick your idea, I have to use the materials that you suggested.

Here are a few rules about your suggestions:

1) They have to be safe materials that can be used with kids (obviously no sharp objects, poisonous, etc.)

2) Choose anywhere between 1 and 4 materials.

3) Materials must be less than $5.  I will be buying the materials, so I need to be able to afford them!

4) Each month, leave you suggestion on the new post for the next month's idea. 

5) Your materials will be the main focus of the activity.  However, I might also use common office supplies such as scissors, crayons, etc.

That's it!  I am so excited to start this series as I think it will be challenging and exciting to see what materials I will be using!  I will start the series next week with, 'Pencil Lead Therapy'!

Oh and of course, to make things just a little more fun, if I pick your materials, you will get a $10 credit to my TPT store! 

It's Time To Become The Student!

I am always trying to think of new and creative ways to keep my students engaged during articulation therapy.  I just wrote a new blog post called 'Tables Turn: When Students Become The SLP' on the Speech Spotlight Blog.  Personally, I had a lot of fun with this idea and I hope you will too!  Check it out HERE!  

What is Speech Spotlight?  It is a collaborative blog of 10 different speech pathologists who share their knowledge with you!   

Valentine's Day Speech Party!

Next week is already Valentine's Day!  Can you believe how fast this year is going?  I know, for me, that this time of year is usually full of IEPs, meetings, report cards, paperwork and everything just seems to be piling up.  It also seems to be the time of year where students start to get bored with the same old therapy games and begin to go a little stir crazy.  Not to mention, I always get little jealous of all the Valentine's Day parties that are happening, in all the classrooms, while I sit in my office billing medicaid... 

So, why not have a Valentine's Speech Party? I know, it sounds like a lot of planning and we have to work on speech goals, right?  Well, I did the planning for you!  Just click here to download the party plans and that's it!  It contains materials needed, a craft and a game to throw the ultimate speech party.  Your students will have a blast, while also working on their goals, of course! 

This specific download contains ideas for articulation therapy, however, you can have your students complete a language task in place of the articulation tasks.  I hope you and your students enjoy!

Valentine's Day Speech Party